Uber has announced a major overhaul of its mobile app and introduced a number of new features and design elements that the company says will make the customer experience more enjoyable. Uber is one of the largest ride aggregators in the world, with operations in dozens of countries and thousands of cities globally. In 2020, the pandemic and the ensuing social distancing regulations hit the company hard, forcing it to suspend its popular carpooling service, Uber Pool. However, the company has since resumed shared rides in several cities as part of a new service called UberX Share.
According to Uber, the redesigned app brings three main changes – a new home screen, a more personalized experience when booking a ride, and Live Activities and Dynamic Island support for compatible iPhones. Starting with the new home screen, Uber says it now offers a more simplified experience that will allow users to book rides and Uber Eats deliveries easily with fewer taps. The company also added a new ‘Services’ tab that will allow users to find all the available ride options and delivery offerings in their city. There’s also a new ‘Activity Hub’ that will help users keep track of all their rides and Uber Eats orders in one place. Users won’t need a dedicated Uber Eats app anymore.
New Features In The Uber App
The new Uber app supports Live Activities on iPhones running iOS 16 and later, allowing users to track their rides and receive critical updates like vehicle details, ETA information, and trip status on the lock screen. iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max users also have something exclusive, with all relevant information now being displayed on the Dynamic island, enabling them to keep a track of their rides even while using other apps.
The biggest change, however, is how the app can now offer personalized suggestions about the destination whenever a user tries to book a cab. When a user taps the ‘Where to’ button on the home screen, their ‘Saved Places’ will appear on the screen and the app will suggest “a list of personalized destinations and ride types based on your preferences, past trips, and most likely destinations.” The app will also share personalized recommendations on how the user can save money while using Uber in their city, based on how they use the app.
As competition heats up in the ride-hailing space, Uber is hoping that it will be able to stay the market leader by offering new ways to keep its users engaged. Personalization is the new buzzword, with most service providers looking to offer their subscribers personalized services to earn their loyalty without having to indulge in costly price wars. Uber hopes that its new features will not only help it retain users but will also get some Lyft users to switch over in the coming weeks and months.
Source: Uber